It wasn't until Saturday, two days later when I saw Elijah again. I would've been even more excited if he didn't call me in the middle of the night. Drunk...
"What?" I snapped into the phone, not bothering to check the caller ID. If it was Stacey, then so help me God.
"Lilah." A drunk and low growl greeted me. I shot up from my bed.
"Elijah." I breathed out and heard him chuckle.
"The one and only." He slurred and I noticed the background was silent, but his voice didn't echo, so I doubted he was in his room.
"Where are you?" I asked and then heard another man talk in the background.
"Yes, calm down. Lilah?" Elijah said to the other person and then said my name so loud, I had to pull the phone away from my ear.
"Yes?" I asked, standing up and turning on the lights in my room.
"I need you to come outside and pay my cab driver. He's getting impatient as fuck." He told me and I frowned, before looking outside my window. And sure enough I could see his figure standing right next to another one.
I hung up and pulled my coat over my bra less self. I hurried to get outside and Elijah smiled at me, before turning towards the cab driver.
"See? I told you she'd come." The driver just shook his head at my drunk friend before looking at me expectantly.
"Yes, uh. How much?" I asked, still halfway asleep. The driver told me the amount and I paid him. The middle-aged man didn't waste a second before stepping back into his car and driving off. I looked at Elijah, who waved at the car.
"Elijah." I said and he turned around. His eyes were red and he had bags under them. His face looked red too and over all he looked really bad.
"Huh? Yes, hi." He threw his arms around me and kissed the top of my head sloppily.
"Hi. Let's get you inside." I said, pulling away from him, because instead of his familiar cologne, the smell of alcohol reached my nose. I took his hand and he stumbled a little when we walked, but we managed to walk inside.
"Lilah." He slurred as he lead the way towards my bedroom. I followed and watched him throw himself onto my messy sheets. If he weren't drunk, this sight would mean so much more to me.
"Come here." He opened his arms and I sighed. It felt wrong.
"Elijah, I-" I said, but he took a hold of my coat, that I didn't take off yet and I landed on top of him. He grunted and threw his arms around me, holding me in place.
"I miss you, Lilah." He murmured against my hair and I felt my heart pick up speed.
"I-I miss you too." I said and he chuckled.
"Yeah, right." He snorted and I frowned, lifting my head to look into his glassy eyes.
"I do. You're the one who never picked up my calls." I said.
"But you didn't come to my fight tonight. Your brother was there. And he even apologized." Elijah suddenly chuckled.
"That idiot was so scared. But I didn't punch him, Lilah. Don't worry." He assured me, squeezing my hips. I was surprised to hear about Jason's apology. I knew about the fight, but not that he was actually going. He didn't ask me to drive him at least.
"That's nice." I answered him.
"Yes, I know. I'm very nice." He burped and I grimaced. Ew, I felt that on my hair. He chuckled after that and started playing with my hair.
"I always loved your hair, you know. So soft and curly. Of course I never touched it before. That would be weird, right?" He kissed my head again and I sighed.
"No, it wouldn't be." I said honestly.
"Yes, it would. If a looser like me touched your hair, they would've killed me." He said.
"Elijah, you're not a looser." I told him. He chuckled again.
"I know. Not anymore."
I wanted to answer in all honesty, but decided against it. He would've forgotten it the next day anyways. I just wanted this night to be over already, so we could talk again. Now that he was here, I was determined to have that conversation.
"I love you, Lilah." He suddenly said and my heart melted at his soft tone. Oh my God. He was drunk, I knew that. But it still felt good to hear him say those three words.
"I love you too." What did it hurt? He won't remember it tomorrow anyways. He kissed my head once again and squeezed me tight.
No more words left our mouths and we soon fell asleep together. I was still wearing my coat and he still had his shoes on. What a pair.
»»»
I woke up when I felt him move underneath me. I cracked an eye open and saw the sunlight from outside brighten up my room. He hissed silently, probably realizing where he was as he gently pushed me off of him, with the hope that I didn't wake up.
I decided to play along and when he sat up on the edge of the bed, his back right in front of me, I closed my eyes again. I could feel his heated gaze on me. Then I felt his finger gently brushing the hair out of my face. His touch was so soft that if I were still asleep, I wouldn't even feel it.
"I know you're awake." He sighed and I gulped before opening my eyes again. He shook his head and stood up.
"I'm sorry for yesterday." Was all he said before walking away. I stood up.
"Elijah!" I yelled, following him like last time. At least he turned around this time.
"Last night-"
"I was drunk." He interrupted me and I sighed.
"You said you loved me." My tone softened, so did his face.
"And I do." He clenched his jaw.
"But you're still running away." I didn't understand. I glared at him and neared him.
"You're still running away just because I found out about you being lanky woods back then." I said, stopping right in front of him. He glared down at me.
"I can't trust you anymore. That's why I'm walking away." He turned, and I pushed his back.
"You never trusted me!" He turned around, his steel hard gaze meeting mine.
"I did! What the fuck makes you think-"
"If you would've trusted me, you would've told me about your past. You would've been straight up honest from the very beginning." I said.
"Why would I have to? You know I let go of my past and focus on the future!" He growled.
"You're running away from your past. You can't just let go off your past. Obviously it's a big obstacle in our relationship." I told him.
"So you think I didn't trust you? You don't think Stacey and Jason being your two best friends had its part on it? The two people who made my life hell? So, it's my fault my girlfriend surrounds herself with the people I have never intended on seeing again? It's fucking hard for me too!" He yelled.
"And you think it's my fault they happen to be the two closest people I have? Do I not deserve to be happy?" I felt desperate, but I realized I really loved him. I missed him and even fighting with him was better than being ignored.
"Don't cry, for fuck's sake." He hissed and closed the distance between us. He wiped my tears away. I sighed, before looking down at my feet.
"I wish I would've never even dropped that ball." I murmured and his hand froze.
"What?" He asked, dropping his hands. I frowned up at him in confusion.
"What did you just say?" He repeated. I gulped at his tone before shrugging and picking on my nails.
"I said I wish I never dropped that ball. If I wouldn't have dropped it, I wouldn't have found the box. Blame me for being clumsy." I sighed and watched him blink before tilting his head to the left.
"So what you're saying is that you accidentally found my box?" He asked and I frowned at him.
"Of course. How else would I've found it? Do you think I usually check under the bed, searching for monsters?" I rolled my eyes and he growled before griping my shirt and pulling me against his body hard.
"Elijah!" I gasped.
"So you're telling me I've gone a week without you, for nothing?" He growled and I was more than just confused now.
"What?" I asked and his other hand was wrapped around my waist.
"I thought you searched my room because you wanted to find out more about me." He said and I pushed him, finally understanding what he meant.
"Are you crazy? I told you I trusted you. Why would I search your room like some crazy girlfriend?" I snapped at him. Did he really think so low of me?
"I don't know. I just saw you on the ground with the box and assumed-"
"You assumed wrong. Elijah, what the heck? Stacey would've done that, no doubt. But I? Did you really think that low of me?" I asked, hurt by his words. He stepped closer towards me, but I took a step back. He clenched his jaw.
"Lilah, I thought you didn't trust me." He said.
"Obviously you have trust issues." I scoffed.
"Who can blame me?!" He exclaimed and swiftly walked towards me.
"Where are we going?" I asked when he took my hand and we walked outside. I was in my slippers and my hair probably looked like a bird's nest, but at least I got my coat still on from last night.
"You'll see." Having him open the door for me and placing his hand on my thigh was if it were the most casual thing again, made me feel like nothing ever happened between us. But I knew now that he never really trusted me. Not when it came to his past, that is.
I decided against pushing his hand away from my thigh as we drove on a familiar road. I could feel his eyes on me whilst I watched the passing trees outside. He squeezed my thigh and I realized we were almost there. I waited anxiously for him to park in front of his apartment complex. When he finally did, I waited for him to open my door, as always.
I was still upset because of what he thought of me, but let him intertwine our fingers anyways. He pulled us towards his apartment and I greeted Toby, who sat at the couch in the living room again.
"Hey, you're back." He smiled at me and I smiled back.
"Hey." I didn't know for how long I'd be back, though. Since I didn't even know what I was doing here in the first place.
"We'll be in my room." Elijah shot Toby a look, who nodded swiftly. When we kicked Elijah's room door shut, we heard Toby yell again.
"Sarah's coming over in a few. So if you hear weird noises, don't call the police." That made me shake my head in amusement as Elijah just rolled his eyes.
"What am I doing here?" I asked, sitting down on his bed. Elijah sighed and swallowed hard, before running a hand through his hair. He studied me for a few seconds, as if trying to read me.
And then, he finally moved towards me.